Various compositions have heretofore been developed for lubricating purposes, and such compositions have included various carriers which retain lubricating oils. Compositions have also been heretofore developed in which significant amounts of lubricating oils are retained within a network of microscopic interconnected pores in a polymer matrix, and said compositions have been employed in the lubrication industry as lubricant reservoirs and dispensing media.
Compositions in which such a polymer matrix is polyethylene is shown, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,541,011, 3,547,819 and 3,729,415, while compositions in which the polymer matrix is polymethylpentene is shown, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,146,487. In addition, compositions in which the thermal properties are modified by the addition of solid powders is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,239,632.
With respect to the compositions set forth, the method of manufacture requires reduction of the polymeric material to a powder form, preparing a physical mixture of the ingredients (i.e., the polymer powder, additive powders and the lubricating oil), and then heating the mixture in a mold to create the desired end form of the composition.
Lubricating compositions such as described hereinabove have been shown to have useful application, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,280,571, 4,342,491 and 4,344,278, the latter two of which are directed to lubrication of journal bearings and wire rope, respectively. In U.S. Pat. No. 4,280,571, further processing of the compositions is shown by using a plastics injection molding machine, while in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,342,491 and 4,344,278, the compositions are shown to be processed by using a plastics extrusion machine.
Ionic hydrocarbon polymers are described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,264,272, and a description of ionomer is set forth in Modern Plastics Encyclopedia (McGraw-Hill, Inc.).